Major telecom companies on Monday wrote a letter to the Ministry of Information Technology and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and raised significant legal concerns regarding the implementation of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) order to block SIMs of non-filers of tax returns.
The major telecom companies have taken a stand.
The letter said the move has legal obstacles and asserted that the FBR's orders directly clash with the established legal rights of both the PTA and consumers.
Telecom companies urged the FBR to adhere to legal protocols before executing any shutdowns of SIMs and failure to do so, the companies warn, could potentially result in legal repercussions from consumers.
The telecom giants and the FBR are now at loggerheads as PTA has also refused the Federal Board of Revenue, the top tax collection body, to block the SIMs of non-filers of tax returns.
Read more:
FBR blocks mobile SIMs of over 500,000 tax evaders
FBR’s decision to block SIMs of non-filers faces scrutiny in Karachi
PTA rejects FBR's request to block non-tax filers' mobile SIMs
